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Weekly News Recap: April 8, 2022

Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: April 8, 2022

Beakerhead, the annual Calgary festival that celebrates science and engineering, is moving into the Telus Spark science centre so the two organizations can operate under one administrative roof. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY

*Let us forgive each other — only then will we live in peace. -- Leo Tolstoy.

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Nightly midnight jog by Indian teen inspires millions on Twitter (NPR) #Inspired "Mehra explained that he was running to keep fit so he could fulfill his dream of joining the army. A career in the army has proven to be reliable for many young men in India. Until the pandemic hit, the army recruited an average of 55-60,000 graduates, mostly male, out of an average of 800,000 applicants every year. There are rigorous qualifying exams — both written and physical. [...] After asking permission to post the video, Kapri uploaded the recording, a little over 2 minutes and titled 'A young boy running at midnight,' to his Twitter account. It has 11.4 million views so far. Kapri's ending caption — 'Run Pradeep run, to your brighter destiny' — touched many viewers, and the viral video roused strong reactions on Twitter."

  • The Secret to Getting More Women on Corporate Boards: The $100,000 Threat (Politico) #Brilliant "It was just before the deadline set by SB 826, a 2018 California law that was the first in the country to require companies with their principal executive offices in the state — 717 publicly held companies, as of March 2021 — to include at least one woman on their boards by the end of 2019. Adding Ardisana, a Hispanic business owner who has extensive experience in alternative fuels, fulfilled that mandate. In response to Clean Energy admitting her appointment was overdue,“I said, ‘You’re absolutely right,’” she told me."

  • ‘Fortnite’ Ukraine Relief Donation Total Is Unlike Anything The Industry Has Seen (Forbes) Yes, this is not a typo. This release raised $144 million for Ukraine. Next time you dismiss a gamer, think about that. "Fortnite found itself in an incredibly uncomfortable situation at the beginning of Chapter 3, season 2’s launch. With seasons planned well in advance, Epic had scheduled an “invasion” themed season, complete with ground wars and virtual tanks rolling through the Fortnite streets. Epic obviously knew how badly timed this was with the very real, very horrific war in Ukraine raging, and announced that they would be donating all proceeds for the first two weeks of the season, March 20 through April 3, to a number of organizations supporting Ukraine relief. Given the scale of Fortnite and how weighted revenue is going to be toward the beginning of a new season where everyone is buying the battle pass, the number was likely to be large. But the final haul of $144 million? That’s…pretty incredible, one of the largest totals I’ve ever seen from any video game charity drive."

  • Don't know your cumulonimbus from your cirrus? We're here to help (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT Our recap is full of learning. #You'reWelcome "CBC meteorologist Christy Climenhaga breaks down five common cloud types and offers tips on how to recognize them, and know what each means for the forecast."

  • McGill24 raises $3.95 million for causes across the University in seventh annual day of giving (McGill) MONTREAL STORY Now THIS is an amazing Giving Day. One to aspire to! "On March 9, the global McGill University community came together once again to make a difference on McGill24, raising a record $3,949,997 in 24 hours during the seventh edition of the University’s annual day of giving. This year’s McGill24 took place as the University wraps up its bicentennial celebrations and kicks off its third century, with a theme that inspired the community to reflect on 200 reasons to give. Funds raised from 5,901 donations will support McGill’s students, student-athletes, researchers and future leaders making a difference at the University, in their communities, and around the world."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. ‘I Feel Shame’: Pope Apologizes to Indigenous People of Canada (New York Times) CANADIAN STORY #ThankYou #Historic "Pope Francis apologized on Friday for the Roman Catholic Church’s involvement in a system of Canadian boarding schools that abused Indigenous children for 100 years, and said he would travel to Canada as part of a process of healing and reconciliation."

  2. New Heritage Minutes video shines light on history of slavery in Ontario (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Hard to watch. Important to watch. "The latest Heritage Minute highlights Canada's history of slavery and the path that led to its eventual demise — a story that 'needed to be told,' according the head of the organization behind the series. The video focuses on Chloe Cooley, an enslaved Black woman living in the Niagara Region in what was known as Upper Canada in the late 18th century."

  3. Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary hosts fundraiser to build dens (Cochrane Today) COCHRANE STORY ViTreo is proud to be working with Georgina and Yamnuska. If you have not been out to the sanctuary, it is worth the visit. "Five resident packs at the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary will soon have new, sturdier dens thanks to public donations to the Dens for Days fundraiser. The sanctuary is making a final push to reach its $15,000 goal, with around $11,000 already raised for building materials since the beginning of March. Executive director Georgina De Caigny said the wolfdogs typically dig their own dens within their enclosures, but for the types of shallow dens and ground conditions where they dig, they tend to collapse or be more temporary in nature."

  4. Dr. Verna Yiu out as president and CEO at Alberta Health Services (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Verna, you have been absolutely amazing. Thank you so much! "Dr. Verna Yiu, president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, is leaving her position, less than a year after receiving a two-year contract extension. 'The Alberta Health Services board today announced the departure of Dr. Verna Yiu and the launch of a search process for a new president and CEO as the health-care system shifts to pandemic recovery and renewal'."

  5. Charities in Canada stretched thin as donations drop, demand rises, report says (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #Ugh "Canadian charities are facing "unprecedented strain" due to a projected decline in donations and an expected growth in demand due to the pandemic, according to a new report."

  6. Beakerhead to team up with Telus Spark (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY What a great joining. Well done all. "Beakerhead, the annual Calgary festival that celebrates science and engineering, is moving into the Telus Spark science centre so the two organizations can operate under one administrative roof. The announcement was made in an April 1 news release, but the organizations say it’s no joke. 'Beakerhead will continue to operate as a distinct brand with its own programming, while gaining the stability of the year-round science centre operations,' says Mary Anne Moser, president and CEO of Spark. 'In return, Beakerhead will be the most original outreach program a science centre could hope for.' She compared it to Disney acquiring Pixar."

  7. FUNDRAISERS IN UKRAINE | Insights from Wartime Leadership (Hilborn Charity eNews) CANADIAN CONTENT Powerful story. Thank you Tony. "Slava had two hours sleep each of the last two nights. His focus in recent days has little to do with raising funds. As CEO of Tabletochki Charitable Foundation, that raises upwards of $7 million a year for kids with cancer, he is moving young patients who need bone marrow transplants, from a war-torn Kyiv to safety in Poland. Just getting the kids out of the hospital, into a car, across the city, and onto a bus that will take them to the border is a logistical nightmare. But he succeeds. Taking care of beneficiaries is his primary task these days."

  8. Report on the Charities Program 2020 to 2021 (Canada Revenue Agency) CANADIAN STORY #ThankYOUCRA "This past year has posed unprecedented challenges for the Charities Directorate, the charitable sector, and all Canadians. We have all had to adapt to a new way of living and working. But what has not changed is our depth of care for each other and our optimism for brighter days to come. Starting in March 2020, the directorate rapidly transformed its business to ensure continued services for charities, including setting up its employees to work remotely and converting paper-based workloads into an electronic format. It also promptly revived the call centre to offer support to charities, extended the filing deadline for charities to ease their reporting burden during an uncertain time, and took a balanced approach to resuming our compliance programming to limit adding stress to charities while maintaining the integrity of the sector."

  9. Toronto organization to start paying job candidates for their interview time (BlogTO) TORONTO STORY This is brilliant. ViTreo is following suit. We will pay all interview candidates for their time. "The past two years have led to a complete redefinition of what 'work' looks like for many as the pandemic has prompted job losses and career changes, a move to remote work en masse, new workplace practices and dire levels of burnout. Employers are shifting with the times, many of them offering hybrid work-from-home models as staff slowly get back into the office, four-day work weeks and more flexibility for vacation time as people re-assess their post-COVID lives, and other perks to retain workers."

  10. FEDERAL BUDGET 2022 - WHAT IS THE NONPROFIT SECTOR ASKING FOR? (Imagine Canada) CANADIAN STORY What are your thoughts? "The release of the 2022 Federal Budget is just around the corner. This year the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance invited Canadians to share their thoughts on the government's federal spending priorities. Budget submissions provide a great snapshot of the sector's priorities and reveal similarities and trends in the sector. Below we have summarized overarching trends from 2019, 2020 and 2022 budget submissions."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. 5 Weird Habits That Will Make Your Life More Fun (Curious) I regularly gamify everyday tasks.

  2. You Are Your Handwriting (Forge) My handwriting is not as bad as this guys but it is pretty bad. Turns out, we can get better.

  3. Start Your Day Right: What To Do In The First 2 Hours of Your Day (Lukas Schwekendiek) I do most of this regularly. When I don't, my day usually sucks.

  4. 7 Simple Journaling Habits That Gradually Improve Your Life Performance (Mind Cafe) These are awesome. I especially like the gratitude hacks.

  5. The 8 Books That Inspired The Most Ideas This Year (Phil McKinney) The Idea Factory is renowned but I am very interested in AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future.

  6. Why One-on-One Meetings Suck and What We Can Do About It (Product Coalition) Honestly, put together a loose agenda. Please. Please...please.

  7. 5 YouTube Channels to Boost Your Learning & Productivity in No Time (Illumination) These all look so great. I am especially intrigued by the 8-minute book review site: Productivity Game.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Joyce Family Foundation donates $1M to support YukonU student success (YukonU) WHITE HORSE STORY I love this story. #GoTimmies ViTreo is proud to be supporting YukonU with its fundraising and campaigns. "The Joyce Family Foundation has donated $1 million to support Yukon University student success with two renewable, annual bursaries alongside providing sustained funding for a peer mentorship program. Students facing high financial obstacles who are beginning their post-secondary journey by entering the University Access Pathways (UAP) program can apply to this new bursary."

  2. Philanthropy in Ottawa: Heart Institute receives $1-million gift from Myers Automotive Group (Ottawa Business Journal) OTTAWA STORY #GratefulPatient "When Hank Mews was admitted into the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) for valve replacement surgery in 2017, the octogenarian was understandably apprehensive.'He was scared, he was really nervous,' said Rob Mews during an interview with older brother Harry about their father’s procedure. 'He didn’t think he was coming out; he literally thought this was the end. It hit home with me, it hit home with our family. 'Thank God everything worked out for him.' The Mews were so grateful to the UOHI for the medical care provided that they recently gave a $1-million transformational gift to the foundation on behalf of their business, Myers Automotive Group."

  3. Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation receives $50 million donation in memory of Allan Slaight (National Post) TORONTO STORY #Wow! #Boom! The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Canada’s largest and leading cancer charity, has received a $50 million donation from the Allan Slaight Breakthrough Fund that will support innovative and unconventional methods of cancer research.

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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